Iran hangs two murderers: Report

Tehran: Iran has hanged two men convicted
of murder, in executions carried out in prison in the central
city of Isfahan, the Etemad newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The men were only identified by their first names as
Esmail, 23, who was found guilty of strangling a 19-year-old
woman and Moslem, 28, who had stabbed his friend to death, the
report said.

The hangings carried out yesterday bring to at least 183
the number of people executed in the Islamic republic so far
this year, according to an AFP count based on news reports. In
2008, Iran executed 246 people, second only to China.

Tehran says the death penalty is a necessary tool for
maintaining public security and is only applied after
exhaustive judicial proceedings.

Murder, rape, armed robbery, drugs trafficking and
adultery are all punishable by death in Iran.